Sanity
by twinfeathers
Summary: The reason Dean and Seamus follow Hermione. "Slowly, a thread of sanity reached towards them." Companion to My Boys. You don't have to read that to get this. Dean and Seamus have been mentally and physically tortured. There's no sanity left.


**This is just a one-shot from Dean and Seamus's point of view when Hermione saved them. Just a little background on them while I try and figure out what I want to put in the next chapter.**

_We had nothing left to grasp onto to keep our sanity. _It was supposed to hurt_. Everything_ was supposed to hurt. Seamus withheld whimpers as the death eaters tossed Dean's mutilated body into their cell.

"Worthless scum!" Bellatrix cackled as he hit the floor with a muffled thump. Silently, Seamus slid over to Dean, stiffling a sob as he looked into the eyes of his only friendly companion. He had given up. The once bright eyes were glazed over, the spark had gone. Too many torture sessions had wiped out any and all hope. They didn't _feel _anymore. They had wished, for the first few weeks, that someone, anyone, would save them. But noone did. Noone from the Order rescued them. They had discussed this of course; back when they were still sane, emotional human beings.

"Maybe we should've been girls." Dean had mused, slumped against Seamus.

"Hmm? Why?"

"Because in fairy tales, the prince always comes to rescue the damsel in distress. But since we aren't damsels, nobody is coming to save us."

"Someone will! I'm sure they will... They wouldn't leave us here. Would they?" Seamus's voice turned pleading at the end.

"Someone will probably come Shay. They're just making a brilliant plan first." Dean tried to inject confidence in his voice but he still sounded doubtful. That was their last sane conversation.

"SCUM!" Bellatrix shrieked, hurling _cruciatus_ after _cruciatus_ at Dean. "No one wants you. They don't need you. You are _worthless_." She hissed as Seamus watched, horrifed, at the other end of the room. Dean screamed, in pain, in anger, as the last shreds of his sanity were snapped by a woman with no sanity of her own. Bellatrix ceased using the curse as Dean began laughing, normally at first, then slowly rising in histerics.

"No one wants me? No one wants _me_? _I'm _worthless? Then what does that make you, you psycopathic bitch. I have friends, you worthless bitch. _I'm _not the one being used." Dean smiled as Bellatrix's rage grew.

"My curse only seems to have ruined your sanity, not your emotions. How do you feel about me _crucio_-ing your friend?" Dean's manic smile dropped as Bellatrix turned her wand on Seamus.

_"CRUCIO!"_ she screamed. Seamus was silent at first, merely shaking in pain on the floor, curling up, digging his nails into the palms of his hands. As soon as he broke his own flesh though, he screamed. And, like Dean's, it was not only a scream of someone in pain, it was a vocal representation of the last of their sanity snapping. They didn't feel pain. The neurological pathways that allowed the messages to go to the brain had been severed. No pain was felt. Not anymore.

Then, they were mutilated. Greyback had lunged, still in his human form, hands out-stretched; carving long gouges into Dean and Seamus's skin. He sliced across their torsos. No reaction. Their legs. Still no reaction. As he slid his claws across their faces they laughed, a broken sound. They had been thrown back into their too-small cell by unnerved Death Eaters.

The days continued. The lack of emotion continued. Then, Hermione and Harry appeared, dressed entirely in black with silver blades in their hands.

"Dean? Seamus?" Hermione's soft voice called. "We've come to take you home." Harry's hands reached out towards them alongside Hermione's as they crawled forward. Slowly, a thread of sanity reached towards them, pushed by the presence of Harry and Hermione. _They were saved._

**Okay! This didn't quite explain the bond Dean and Seamus had towards Harry and Hermione so let me try. Due to the mental and physical torture they had been through Dean and Seamus's minds retreated into themselves for protection. Then Hermione appears with Harry, saying that they didn't have to only rely on themselves anymore, Harry and Hermione would help. This creates a sort of parent child bond between Hermione and the boys. The childrens (dean and Seamus's) brain automaticaly realise that their mother (hermione) would care for and comfort them. And, much like children try to comfort their parents, Dean and Seamus will try to comfort Hermione in any way, shape or form. This still doesn't fully explain it but I hope it helps. Any questions? Review or PM me!**

**~Twinfeathers**


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